Review of Ping Pong the Animation

"Ping Pong The Animation is not just a sports anime." This statement is agreed by many for good reasons. From the insane animation and soundtrack to nuanced depictions of adolescence, Ping Pong The Animation does the sport justice and much more. The praise and acclaim around Ping Pong The Animation are not surprising, maybe even expected, with the amount of experience and talent across the board. The staff know what they're doing and works together admirably, most working together again after three years to create more exceptional animations like Night Is Short, Walk On Girl and Lu Over the Wall. Yet, Ping Pong The Animation seemsto be judged through a love or hate attitude, with the assumption, based on the art style, of some contemporary, controversial avant-garde anime prioritising style over substance. Yes, the art style is often surrealist, but like how food's good when in the mouth, give at least the first episode a try to prove that the show is far more than distorted perspective ping pong. This animation has style and substance, some of which will be mentioned in this review.

Animation and Direction
How do you capture the essence of an unconventional manga through animation? You get Masaaki Yuasa to direct. Yuasa captures the style, even the cool panelling, and adds his and many brilliant animators' flare for perspectives, flow, and lighting to exaggerate emotions and create movement. The way some scenes transition, similar to pages from the manga, is innovative and works phenomenally well. Mixed with the pacing of these matches and contrasting single panels, it's imaginative, sometimes matching tensions in other sports animes, stretching one game into 25 episodes (Haikyuu!!).

If a single episode is too much to ask, watch the opening directed by Ohira Shinya. His distinctive fluidity, softness, and smooth cuts in the opening sequence are instantly distinguishable and establish the tone, especially portraying all the speed and spring in the sport. With motions exaggerated by perspective and characters in simple and bold outlines all wobbly yet vigorous, the opening cleverly alludes to adolescence, uncertainty and growth. Tadahitori by Bakudan Johnny mixes beautifully with the animation's tone creating a weird feeling of cynicism, wistfulness and hope. Ping Pong The Animation has my favourite opening; the spin, toss of the ping pong, and even walking animations with the intense music are so satisfying to watch and hard to skip.

The drama and depictions of adolescence are meticulous, showing Matsumoto Taiyou's, the author, growth from Tekkon Kinkreet. From the film, my experience with Tekkon Kinkreet was very surreal, I barely held onto the plot, but the feelings of brotherhood, growth and environmental pressures portrayed were takeaways. In Ping Pong, similar themes feel more clear, focused and developed; thus, the characters are the focal point.

Ping pong is the focus of the characters. Naturally, their world stems from their competition, which they start questioning with the disillusionment of their unbridled ambition. In 11 episodes, these characters face insuperable existential obstacles towards growth and adulthood. These themes are juggled inside and outside ping pong games, making pacing crucial. Simply put, Ping Pong The Animation succeeded. There are exaggerated tropes, but the story progresses with an understated elegance. The plot is subtle and sometimes hard to retain; for instance, during the middle portion, the audience is reminded that a character is a prominent figure with his catharsis, as before that, it's questionable why the audience should care. Though, I don't view the pace negatively, as it gives reason to rewatch the show, especially given the number of allusions painted.

Characters
Characters are most important in sports anime. The best always have you rooting for both sides, making you feel for each point. Ping Pong The Animation does this so well. Showing their hardships during and going into the game and the impact of wins and losses outside the game allows even the supporting characters to be cared for. The final tournament is tension-filled when you're rooting for the whole cast. Even short matches reveal their ambitions, sometimes literally, like Kong's final drive becoming a plane to show his wish to return to his home country. Supporting casts like Kong, Sakuma, and Butterfly Joe have great character arcs that influence the protagonists' development into a profound conclusion.

Music
Listening to Kensuke Ushio's Ping Pong OST without context, the techno is the last sound conveying Ping Pong. Don't judge a book by its cover, the first song, Hero Theme, gets you bopping like you're the ping pong flung across the table. Honestly, I'm perplexed about how electronic music work to bring life into ping pong scenes or even how Ping Pong The Animation managed to create a harmony that now seems written in the stars. The ping pong sound design directed by Kimura Eriko makes a perfect compilation with techno. Some other tracks, like Peco, also create foundations for characters' emotions during climatic scenes, shifting the mood and setting the tone. Compositions like Farewell Song evoke Ushio's other works, like A Silent Voice, hitting beautiful melodramatic notes. This level of production and innovation makes Ping Pong The Animation the greatest.

Voice Acting
The voice acting is the final cherry on top. Tsukimoto is voiced by Uchiyama Kouki, with appearances in other popular sports animes, most notably Tsukishima in Haikyuu, whose similarities with Tsukimoto go further than Tsuki. Also, finally, an anime doesn't treat a foreign language as a joke. However, the English from Butterfly Joe is funny, "Good morning, Mr Tsukimoto".

Verdict: the GOAT.
Ping Pong The Animation is the creative cooperation of capable artists expressing themselves with only 11 episodes. Each episode is filled with content, providing new perspectives into characters through electrifying ping-pong action. There is so much to enjoy in this show, the sports, drama, and art, and capped with a memorable final episode, Ping Pong The Animation is a satisfying masterpiece.